PA Budget Restores Education, Cuts Social Services

Late Saturday night Governor Tom Corbett fulfilled a promise by signing the 2012-2013 budget into law before the July 1st deadline.

Now agencies and county executives across the state are scrambling to gauge the impact.

The nearly 27 billion dollar budget fulfills another Corbett promise of holding the line on new taxes.

It also includes a manufacturing tax credit to help Pennsylvania make finished products here and provides some tax exemptions for farmers looking to pass land down to sons and daughters.

But 11 billion dollars, a full 40 percent of the overall budget is going to education, after lawmakers were able to use additional resources to reduce the dire predictions of 20 percent budget cuts proposed in the Governor's initial budget offering.

But many human services are not so lucky; state lawmakers are warning that even more state mandated programs will pass on to the county level without corresponding funding.